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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · calf · toast · saw · cue · drill · face · bank

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bank — for money
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. press — to push
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. face — to point toward
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cue — for pool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. press — a publisher
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cue — a hint
  23. drill — army training
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com